Candidates and Healthcare — A Guide to the Maryland Primary

Jane Jewell • July 5, 2022

Abortion and covid are the main and most controversial topics in health care, dominating today’s news and people’s minds.

Do candidates agree with the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade? Or do they support reproductive freedom and the right of individual women to choose? And, where do candidates stand on the issues of masks, mandates, and vaccines.

Other important health-related issues include the increasing cost of prescription drugs and health insurance premiums. Arguments also swirl around whether to expand or curb Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare). The increasing number of hospital and clinic closings, especially in rural areas, is another problem.

Below are notes and quotes from the candidates’ websites and other public-record sources. Some candidates, mostly Democrats, have detailed plans for handling today’s health problems. Other candidates’ websites have general statements about healthcare being important, but no specifics on what the candidate supports or opposes.

For those interested in a candidate’s stand on a health issue that is not noted below, we suggest searching on the candidate’s name along with the topic and also checking sites like VOTE411.org or Ballotpedia.org/Maryland that track candidates’ positions. Many who have not yet made public statements on various controversial issues like the pandemic or Roe v. Wade may yet do so before the Maryland primary election. Be sure to vote!

The primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19. Only residents who have registered their political party preference are eligible to vote, and they may only vote for their party’s candidates. Thus, Democrats may only vote for Democratic candidates and Republicans only for Republican candidates.

Important primary voting dates in Maryland:

July 7-14: Early in-person voting
July 12: Deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the primary election
July 19: Mail-in ballots must be postmarked no later than this date
July 19: Primary election

Governor/Lieutenant Governor

Dan Cox + Gordana Schifanelli — Republican

www.dancoxforgovernor.com

“On day one of my administration as your next governor, I will end the vaccine and health mandates.”

“Life, from conception to death, must be protected with utmost sincerity. I am unashamedly 100% pro-life.”

Robin Ficker + LeRoy F. Yegge, Jr. — Republican

www.cutmdsalestax2cents.com

Ficker’s website lists his record and position on many areas, but hardly anything on health. Some of his stance can be inferred from statements on education on his website including his call to re-open schools for in-person learning as early as July 2020 and that, “They will prioritize parental input into what the schools are teaching, whether schools are safe, and whether any mandates are ever needed.”

“I want to make Maryland the sports state. Kids in the school systems and most adults are too sedentary, devoting too much time to screen activity. We need to get them out and about and involved in wholesome activity and exercise.” (VOTE411.org)

Kelly Schulz + Jeff Woolford — Republican

http://www.kellyschulzforgovernor.com

“... it is WELL past time we move away from mask mandates and vaccine mandates. Individuals should be making their own choices.”

“I won’t let politicians arbitrarily shut down schools.”

“We are blessed to live in a state that has some of the best hospitals and health care providers not only in the country, but in the world. Innovative approaches have been taken to stabilize health care costs and premiums. We must continue to do this while also allowing for a system in which we can have more competition so that consumers have more choices.”

Joe Werner + Minh Thanh Luong — Republican

http://www.wernerformaryland.com

Werner’s website states that he has “tailor-fit plans” on several issues including healthcare; however, there are no details on the plans. His stance is indicated by the phrase “Pro Life Pro Liberty” on his list of important issues.

Rushern Baker III + Nancy Navarro — Democrat

http://www.rushernbaker.com

Rushern Baker III suspended his race for governor on June 10.

Jon Baron + Natalie Williams — Democrat

http://www.jonbaron.com

Baron says that he wants to bring an evidence-based approach to all issues including education, the economy, and healthcare. Specifically, he wants to lower the cost of prescription drugs by empowering Maryland to negotiate lower statewide costs for pharmaceutical drugs and to investigate which drugs benefit patients.

Programs he supports:

Enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade in the Maryland constitution
Public option health insurance with low premiums, similar to programs in New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, similar to single-payer or Medicare-for-all concepts
Nurse-led program for chronically ill home-bound senior citizens
Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) for first-time mothers
A program that pairs Black barbershops with pharmacists to screen for and treat high blood pressure

Peter Franchot + Monique Anderson-Walker — Democrat

http://www.franchot.com

“We have suffered greatly as a state and as a nation because our leaders have confused wishful thinking and good intentions with good management and strategic leadership. As a result, millions of Marylanders experienced confusion, frustration, and anger over poor execution of our covid-19 response. Far too often, the pandemic created needs that government did not rise to meet.”

Healthcare platform includes:

Protecting and expanding access to abortion care
Lowering healthcare costs and expanding affordable primary and preventative care

Douglas F. Gansler + Candace Hollingsworth — Democrat

www.ganslerformaryland.com

Regarding healthcare in general, Ganzler states: “In the midst of both a public health crisis and an economic crisis, our state is failing to provide the access, quality, and continuity of care that patients desperately need.”

Gansler has a focus on mental health and on adults with physical disabilities and chronic diseases, especially veterans. He proposes plans to improve access for the disabled in public transportation and employment.

“We are nowhere close to satisfying demand for psychiatrists, therapists, and clinical social workers, which means people who call for help are often forced to wait weeks, even months, to get through the door. When we can get patients in for sessions, we don’t have nearly enough licensed prescribers to provide people with life-saving medicine. It’s clear Marylanders need mental health care now more than ever.”

He is also in favor of legalizing cannabis and expunging convictions.

Ralph W. Jaffe + Mark Greben — Democrat

http://www.fedupwithcrookedpolitics.com

Jaffe wants investigation and action on:

Veteran Adminstration scandals
Nursing home exploitation of the elderly

Ashwani Jain + LaTrece Hawkins Lytes — Democrat

www.jainforgovernor.com

Jain pledges to:

Add protection for abortion care, contraception, and gender treatment to Maryland constitution
Provide mental health personnel in schools
Strengthen disability rights and create caretaker programs
Legalize marijuana and expunge records
Decriminalize scheduled drugs and fund rehab clinics

John King + Michelle Daugherty Siri — Democrat

http://www.johnkingforGovernor.com

King is endorsed by the Pro-Choice Maryland Action organization.

On protecting and expanding the right to abortion care, King’s website states: “Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, it is no longer enough for Democrats to only be pro-choice. John and Michelle, his running mate and former board president of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, are committed to aggressively protecting and expanding the right to abortion care in Maryland.”

“Almost 350,000 [Marylanders] are uninsured. The disparities in Maryland’s healthcare system run deep. Black and Latino Marylanders are uninsured at a disproportionate rate.”

On his website, King outlines the following priorities:

Treat healthcare as a human right and remove barriers to healthcare for all Marylanders, regardless of immigration status
Remove barriers to primary care providers and specialty providers while working to ensure that all Marylanders face no barriers to emergency care, especially in rural Maryland
Incentivize providers to locate in underserved communities, prioritizing specialists
Create a permanent task force to analyze racial disparities in Maryland’s health care system, and make targeted investments to eliminate those disparities
Take a holistic approach to healthcare by tackling the underlying causes of many health disparities, such as poverty, environmental injustice, and access to fresh foods

Wes Moore + Aruna Miller — Democrat

wesmoore.com

“Wes will protect funding for our community health centers that offer critical health services like cancer screenings and birth control. Wes supports the right to choose, and as governor, he will fight to protect it."

The website states that the Moore-Miller administration will:

Ensure every Marylander has access to quality, affordable health care coverage and that the ability to pay is not the deciding factor in obtaining needed care
Protect reproductive freedoms and advance access to reproductive healthcare by enshrining the right to abortion into Maryland’s constitution, combating any efforts to restrict care and expanding training for healthcare providers so more Marylanders can obtain care
Lower prescription drug prices by empowering the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to review costs and set limits for prescription drugs, explore bulk buying pools, and leverage the state’s purchasing power to drive down costs
Advance health equity by ensuring universal access to coverage, combating maternal mortality by expanding successful home visiting programs, addressing disparities in rural health care by expanding telehealth and remote patient monitoring
Improve care for individuals with disabilities, and support seniors’ ability to access home health care services to age in place
Destigmatize mental illness and support mental, emotional, and behavioral health for all by increasing the number of community-based care centers
Better address the behavioral health needs of Maryland’s youth by expanding community schools, increasing the number of behavioral health workers in schools
Address workforce shortages in the health care field by driving more students into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs and leveraging tuition assistance and loan forgiveness to incentivize students and new graduates to work in high-demand areas
Address the public health impacts of climate change by addressing the worsening effects of extreme heat and improving Maryland’s air quality

Tom Perez + Shannon Sneed — Democrat

www.tomperez.com

“Tom will also ensure that every woman in Maryland has access to world class reproductive care.

The Perez-Sneed administration will also tackle the opioid and overdose crises across our state which are the leading cause of maternal mortality
Tom has a proven track record of fighting for women’s reproductive rights, including as assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice where he reinforced federal laws that protect women’s access to reproductive care without harassment or intimidation
Maryland is one of the most pro-choice states in the nation, but unfortunately most counties do not have a clinic that provides abortion services. Tom is committed to ensuring that every woman in Maryland has access to reproductive healthcare by integrating reproductive health services into our primary care system
Tom has a track record of fighting for Black women and children as director of the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services where he prosecuted a maternity ward that segregated its patients by race. As governor, Tom will provide targeted support for fertility, prenatal, and postpartum resources to Black women
Perez states he will also tackle the ongoing mental health crisis”

Jerome M. Segal + Justinian M. Dispenza — Democrat

segalforgovernor.org

Segal’s website has no specific mention of healthcare, covid, or abortion and reproductive rights.

Congress 1st District

Andrew P. Harris — Republican — incumbent

http://www.andyharris.com

Concerning abortion, Harris has been quoted in a Baltimore Sun article: “I’m on record,” Harris said. “I would support a heartbeat bill. I think we should protect infant lives after the heartbeat is detected.” That would be at about 6 weeks, before many even know they are pregnant.

As of July 1, the Harris website has lots of links to news articles and tips for dealing with covid but no details on his position on issues such as masks, vaccines, or mandates. Radio and TV ads from 2018 and 2020 are included but no new information for 2022.

The site also has a banner proclaiming “The Trump Team.”

R. David Harden — Democrat

http://www.hardenforcongress.com

“Healthcare: Every American deserves access to high-quality, affordable medical care. We can improve our healthcare system while lowering costs, ensuring broader coverage, and achieving better outcomes. I support measures that would strengthen the ACA’s framework and provide a public option that will be made affordable to every citizen. Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP protect our seniors, children, and most vulnerable citizens; I will fight to make sure these programs are never eliminated or privatized. Beyond expanding coverage, we must also seek to address the exploding costs of healthcare. We need a comprehensive policy agenda that targets anti-competitive behavior, price-gouging, and bureaucratic waste in the private sector, while also investing in evidence-based public health initiatives.”

Hardin states that he is “fully committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare and ensuring their solvency and viability.”

On covid, Hardin supports vaccines and taking all needed precautions for those in high-risk groups.

Heather R. Mizeur — Democrat

www.heathermizeur.com

Concerning healthcare, Mizeur supports expanding access, lowering costs, and improving coverage. She has considerable experience in writing and sponsoring healthcare policy in the Maryland General Assembly, including one of the first bills that allowed young people to stay on their parents’ family policies until age 26.

“I will seek to expand who qualifies for coverage, improve the benefits packages, and will work to bring down out-of-pocket costs through better subsidies and co-payment rules. I also support allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies to reduce Rx prices. And I will prioritize our rural health care needs by focusing on ways to attract more and better health care providers to our region and promote policies that will keep rural hospitals and clinics open and thriving, ensuring First District residents don’t lose their access to care.”

Mizeur has an impressive list of endorsements including from Maryland’s U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and from Wayne Gilchrest, former Republican, who was the First District representative in Congress for many years.

Jane Jewell is a writer, editor, photographer, and teacher. She has worked in news, publishing, and as the director of a national writer's group. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Peter Heck, a ginger cat named Riley, and a lot of books.

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Common Sense for the Eastern Shore

“Liberty: The Promises and Paradoxes”

By John Christie • March 3, 2026

Just up the road from Maryland’s Eastern Shore lies Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the park is dedicated to the preservation of historical structures and properties associated with the American Revolution and the founding and growth of the United States. The centerpiece of the park is Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers in the late 18th century. Nearby is the Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of American independence, displayed in the Liberty Bell Center. In the park as well is what’s called the President’s House, an exhibit on the site of the first official residence of the president of the United States. President Washington occupied the Philadelphia President's House from 1790 to 1797. His successor, John Adams, lived there from 1797 to 1800. Although the original structure no longer exists, the exhibit includes a view of the foundation of the house where our first two presidents lived with their families. Research has turned up information about nine enslaved Africans owned by Washington and brought to Philadelphia’s presidential residence during his time there. To commemorate the lives of those slaves, their names are etched in a wall in the exhibit: Oney Judge, Austin, Christopher Sheels, Giles, Hercules Posey, Joe Richardson, Moll, Paris, and Richmond. The site includes exhibits on how their struggles for freedom represented this country’s progress away from the horrors of slavery and into an era where the founding ideals of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” could be achieved for every American. An intended theme of the President’s House exhibit is “Liberty: The Promises and Paradoxes.” “The promises of liberty and equality granted in the founding documents present a paradox: not only were they ideals to strive for but they were unfulfilled promises for people who struggled to be fully included as citizens of our nation.” ------------------------------------------------------------ On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” EO14253 stated in part: “Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our nation's history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.” In order to “restore truth in American history,” EO14253 directed the Secretary of the Interior to ensure that all public monuments, memorials, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior's jurisdiction do not contain descriptions or other content that “inappropriately disparage” Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times) and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people. In response to this order, on January 22, 2026, the NPS suddenly removed 34 educational panels and video exhibits that referenced slavery and provided information about the individuals enslaved at the President’s House. The day these exhibits were removed, the City of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit in the federal district court in Philadelphia against Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the Department of the Interior, Acting Director of NPS Jessica Bowron, and the NPS itself, claiming that the removal of the displays was unlawful agency action. On February 16, Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the Trump administration to restore the slavery-related exhibits at the national park site, holding that NPS lacked the power “to dissemble and disassemble historical truths.” In court, the government asserted it alone had the power to erase, alter, remove, and hide historical accounts on taxpayer and local government-funded monuments within its control. According to Judge Rufe, to claim that “truth is no longer self-evident, but rather the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees and delegees, at his whim to be scraped clean, hidden, or overwritten” comes right out of George Orwell’s 1984. In her opinion, no government agency can “arbitrarily” decide what is true, “based on its own whims or the whims of the new leadership.” “It is not disputed that President Washington owned slaves.” Moreover, Judge Rufe determined the removed displays were not mere decorations to be taken down and redisplayed; rather, they were a memorial to the “men, women, and children of African descent who lived, worked, and died as enslaved people in the United States of America.” Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history. Removal of the crucial interpretive materials strips the site of that truth and deprives the public of educational opportunities designed to be free and accessible. For Judge Rufe, the abrupt elimination of historically significant educational material is like “pulling pages out of a history book with a razor.” John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.

Run for Something Endorses Megan Outten for Wicomico County Council District 7

By CSES Staff • March 3, 2026

Last month, Megan Outten, candidate for Wicomico County Council District 7, was endorsed by Run for Something (RFS), a national organization that recruits and supports the next generation of progressive leaders for state and local office. The organization’s slate of newly endorsed candidates includes young, diverse progressives from across the country who are ready to lead in their communities. Outten said, “This campaign has always been powered by our community. By parents, teachers, small business owners, and neighbors who know we can do better. Run for Something’s endorsement affirms what we already know here in Wicomico: when everyday people step up to lead, we change what’s possible. Together, we’re building the kind of local government that plans ahead, listens first, and puts families at the center of every decision.” “Bold leaders like Megan are at the forefront of the fight for our rights and freedoms at a time when they have never faced greater threats,” said Amanda Litman, Co-Founder and President of Run for Something. “Run for Something is proud to endorse Megan Outten as part of our latest class of young leaders working to secure lasting change in their communities.” Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and 85% of students relying on additional resources, she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action. “Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.” About Run for Something: Amanda Litman and Ross Morales Rocketto launched RFS in January 2017 with a simple premise: to help young, diverse progressives run for state and local offices in order to build a bench for the future. RFS aims to lower the barriers to entry for these candidates by helping them with organization building, connecting them with a robust community, and providing access to the trainings they need to be successful. Since its founding, RFS has helped elect over 1,600 candidates across the country — including 43 candidates in red-to-blue seats in the 2025 election cycle. Today, RFS has the largest database of any Democratic organization, with nearly 80,000 people reaching out since November 2024 with interest in running for office. In total, over 250,000 young people from across the country have signed up to run and gained access to RFS’s resources since the organization launched — a powerful signal that a new generation is showing up to lead.

DHS is Violating a Court Order that Prohibits Warrantless Immigration Arrests in D.C., New Filing Alleges

By Liam Bowman, Capital News Service • March 3, 2026

The Trump administration is still arresting immigrants in D.C. without warrants or probable cause despite a judge’s previous ruling that the practice was unlawful, a coalition of immigrant rights groups alleges in a recent court filing. A federal judge ruled in December that the administration’s use of warrantless immigration arrests likely violated federal law and issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting such arrests without probable cause. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups and four migrants who were arrested without warrants last year during President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in the capital. But federal immigration officials in D.C. are failing to comply with that order, continuing to make warrantless arrests “without the required probable cause determinations,” according to the Feb. 19 motion by plaintiffs. The lawsuit alleges immigration authorities began operating under an “arrest first, ask questions later” policy to comply with arrest quotas imposed after Trump took office last year — and started to ignore the probable cause requirements under immigration law. Click here to read the rest of the article , on the Capital News Service website. The article also details the arrest stories of the plaintiffs who were tricked, and concerns about D.C. police cooperation with immigration authorities. Capital News Service is a student-powered news organization run by the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. For 26 years, they have provided deeply reported, award-winning coverage of issues of import to Marylanders.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free”

By John Christie • February 17, 2026

These are the words from Emma Lazarus’ famous 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus” inscribed on a bronze plaque on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. In 1990, Congress reaffirmed this vision of America by establishing the Temporary Protected Status program. TPS is designed to provide humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who come from disaster-stricken countries. In its present form, the TPS legislation gives the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security responsibility for the program. However, the legislation prescribes the kind of country conditions severe enough to warrant a designation under the statute, the specific time frame for any such designation, and the process for periodic review of a TPS designation which could culminate in termination or extension. All initial TPS designations last from six to eighteen months. Before the expiration of a designation, the statute mandates that the Secretary shall review the conditions in the foreign state to decide if the conditions for the designation continue to be met, following consultation with appropriate agencies of the government. Extension is the default; the designation “shall be extended” unless the secretary affirmatively determines that conditions are “no longer met.” ------------------------------------------------------------- A massive earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010, and precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Shortly after, then-DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, after consultation with the State Department, designated Haiti for TPS due to “extraordinary conditions.” Haitian nationals in the United States continuously as of January 12, 2010, could thus apply for TPS, and obtained the right to remain and work in the U.S. while Haiti maintained its TPS designation. Napolitano set the initial TPS designation for 18 months. As Haiti’s deterioration worsened, successive DHS secretaries have extended this program. Gang violence and kidnappings have spiked. In 2021, a group of assailants killed Haiti’s then-President Jovenel Moïse. In 2023, another catastrophic earthquake hit Haiti. In 2024, in response to these conditions, then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas once again extended and redesignated Haiti for TPS, this time effective through February 3, 2026. During the 2024 election cycle, the GOP candidate, Donald Trump clearly indicated that time had not tempered his views on Haiti, characterized by him as a “shithole country” during his first term. He stated that when elected, he would “absolutely revoke” Haiti’s TPS designation and send “them back to their country.” On December 1, 2025, Kristi Noem, DHS secretary in the second Trump administration, announced, “I just met with the president. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies. Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom, not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owned to Americans. We don’t want them, not one.” So says the official responsible for overseeing the TPS program. And one of those (her word) “damn” countries is Haiti. Three days before making the above post, Secretary Noem announced she would terminate Haiti’s TPS designation as of February 3, 2026. Five Haitian TPS holders filed suit in federal court in Washington initially seeking an injunction against the termination of the Haitian TPS program pending the completion of the litigation. These plaintiff TPS holders are not “killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies.” They are instead a neuroscientist researching Alzheimer’s disease, a software engineer at a national bank, a laboratory assistant in a toxicology department, a college economics major, and a full-time registered nurse. The case was assigned to district court judge Ana Reyes who granted the plaintiffs’ injunction request on February 2, 2026, by way of an 83-page opinion. The plaintiffs charge that Secretary Noem preordained her termination decision because of hostility to non-white immigrants. According to Judge Reyes, “This seems substantially likely. Secretary Noem has terminated every TPS country designation to have reached her desk — twelve countries up, twelve countries down.” Judge Reyes also decided that Noem’s conclusion that Haiti (a majority non-white country) faces only “merely concerning” conditions cannot be squared with the “perfect storm” of “suffering and staggering” humanitarian toll described in page after page of the record in the case. In Judge Reyes’ view, Noem also ignored Congress’s requirement that she review the conditions in Haiti “after consulting with appropriate agencies.” Indeed, the record indicates she did not consult other agencies at all. Her “national interest” analysis focuses on Haitians outside the United States or here illegally, ignoring that Haitian TPS holders already live here and legally so. And though Noem states that the analysis must include “economic considerations,” Judge Reyes concluded Noem ignored altogether the billions that Haitian TPS holders contribute to the economy. The administration’s primary response in the litigation has been to assert that the TPS statute gives Secretary Noem “unbounded” discretion to make whatever determination she wants, any way she wants. Yes, Judge Reyes acknowledges, the statute does grant Noem some discretion. But, in Judge Reyes’ opinion, “not unbounded discretion.” To the contrary, Congress passed the TPS statute to standardize the then ad hoc temporary protection system; in Judge Reyes’ words, "to replace executive whim with statutory predictability.” The administration also argued that the harms to Haitian TPS holders were “speculative” if they are forced to return to Haiti. Because the State Department presently warns, “Do not travel to Haiti for any reason,” the administration asserts that harm is “speculative” only because DHS “might not” remove them. However, according to Judge Reyes, this argument fails to take Secretary Noem at her word: “We don’t want them. Not one.” The public interest also favors the injunction, in the opinion of Judge Reyes. Secretary Noem complains of the strains that unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Noem’s answer is to turn 352,959 lawful TPS Haitian immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. Noem complains of strains to our economy; her answer is to turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. Noem complains of strains to our health care system. Noem’s answer is to turn the insured into the uninsured. “This approach is many things – but the public interest is not one of them,” according to Judge Reyes. The opinion of Judge Reyes concludes: “Kristi Noem has a First Amendment right to call immigrants killers, leeches, entitlement junkies, and any other inapt name she wants. Secretary Noem, however, is constrained by both our Constitution and the law to apply faithfully the facts to the law in implementing the TPS program. The record to-date shows she has yet to do that. The administration has already appealed. John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.

Gov. Moore Signs Legislation to Prohibit Md. Jurisdictions from Deputizing Officers for Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement

By Office of the Governor • February 16, 2026

Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation on February 17, 2026, to prohibit State and local jurisdictions from deputizing officers for federal civil immigration enforcement activity. The law, created under SB 245/HB 444 , is effective immediately. “In Maryland, we defend Constitutional rights and Constitutional policing — and we will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents to deputize our law enforcement officers,” Moore said. “This bill draws a clear line: we will continue to work with federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable, but we refuse to blur the lines between state and federal authority in ways that undermine the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Maryland is a community of immigrants, and that's one of our greatest strengths because this country is incomplete without each and every one of us.” “As an immigrant, this bill is deeply personal to me,” said Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. “Immigrants make Maryland stronger every day, and our communities are safer when everyone feels protected and valued. This legislation ensures that our law enforcement resources remain focused on keeping Marylanders safe, not on actions that create fear in our neighborhoods. I thank the bill sponsors and Governor Moore for their leadership in ensuring Maryland remains a place where dignity and opportunity go hand in hand.” U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, established its 287(g) program to authorize local law enforcement officials to perform federal civil immigration enforcement functions under ICE’s oversight. Under SB 245/HB 444, State and local jurisdictions in Maryland are prohibited from engaging in such agreements. Any local jurisdictions with standing 287(g) agreements must terminate them immediately. The legislation does not: Authorize the release of criminals Impact State policies and practices in response to immigration detainers that are issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Prevent the State or local jurisdictions from continuing to work with the federal government on shared public safety priorities, including the removal of violent criminals who pose a risk to public safety Prevent State or local jurisdictions from continuing to notify ICE about the impending release of an individual of interest from custody or from coordinating the safe transfer of custody within constitutional limits State and local law enforcement will also maintain the ability to work with the federal government on criminal investigations and joint task forces unrelated to civil immigration enforcement. Any individual who is charged with a crime is entitled to due process and, if convicted, must serve their sentence.

Farmers Now Owe a Lot More for Health Insurance

By Sarah Boden and Drew Hawkins, Gulf States Newsroom • February 16, 2026

And now, the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that many Americans, including farmers, relied on to purchase health insurance are gone, having expired at the end of December.